McLeod breaking down doors and growing football across Indigenous communities

Long time football pioneer and respected leader of the Wreck Bay community on the South Coast of NSW, Bernie McLeod has spent the last 20 years encouraging and introducing boys and girls, men and women, aunties and uncles, grandparents and Elders from indigenous backgrounds and communities to our beautiful sport.

“To build sustainable relationships with our partners through football events, and memorable opportunities for Indigenous Communities across the nation”, is the football vision Bernie has followed across all the initiatives he has introduced over the last two decades.

Among a host of achievements, he lists the formation of the Wreck Bay Sharks Football Club and the introduction of the first Indigenous National Football Championships, held annually, as two of the major highlights of a remarkable football journey.

Bernie commented, “In my day, I was one of the few aboriginal boys who really took to football. I loved it and I was lucky in that I enjoyed a long time in the game and had a reasonably successful career. Even after I retired from actually playing, football was still in my blood so I remained very much a part of our game.”

Instrumental in introducing a wide range of programs and initiatives that have resulted in significant numbers of aboriginal boys and girls now starting to turn to football, instead of traditional sports like Rugby League and AFL, Bernie continues to grow the game with his passion, dedication and determination to guide the next generation of people and footballers.

“Getting the Wreck Bay Sharks up and going and playing in competitive matches has been a huge success.

“Our kids really enjoy the team environment and many are just simply natural born footballers. The talent is incredible to be honest,” observed Bernie.

“The growth and popularity of the Indigenous National Football Championships has also been very encouraging.

“We pretty much started off with just a concept and now we have great numbers of aboriginal teams lining up to compete and the level of football improves every year.

“This year we actually sent Australian Indigenous Representative Men and Women’s Teams over to New Zealand to participate in the International Trans-Tasman Football Series against teams from all around the world, including Brazil, New Zealand and Argentina.

“The first ever indigenous football team to represent Australia in football. Needless to say we were very, very proud.”

Bernie continues to expand his programs and has now reached agreement with the Wollongong Wolves Football Club on a host of new and exciting initiatives, specifically targeted in growing the footprint and representation of footballers from indigenous backgrounds even further.

Wollongong Wolves CEO, Chris Papakosmas was very excited about the potential new opportunities Bernie will assist in delivering.

“The passion and drive Bernie has for football and for kids from indigenous backgrounds is amazing. What he has already done and all he still has planned to do leaves me astounded as to how one person can deliver so much.

“It also inspires us, as a club, to get right behind Bernie’s vision and do whatever we can in helping him realise his goals.

“Bernie’s vision aligns perfectly with our Community Engagement philosophy and of course there is that little bit of selfishness on my part as I’ve got no doubt I will be signing plenty of his kids, boys and girls in the future.”

Announcements will be forthcoming across a range of school and community programs to be coordinated jointly between the Wollongong Wolves Football Club, Bernie McLeod and Wreck Bay Sharks and The National Indigenous Football Championships.

Discussions have been ongoing and since February, Bernie has been bringing up selected players who impressed during the National Indigenous Football Championships and the tour to New Zealand for the Trans-Tasman Cup Tournament to train with the Wollongong Wolves senior squads under First Grade Coach Jacob Timpano, to give them a taste of the requirements of top level football.

This initial program will be further expanded to provide similar pathways and introductions to many of the female footballers from Wreck Bay and the National Indigenous Football Championships through similar arrangements with the Illawarra Stingrays.

Australian Socceroo and Brisbane Roar player Jade North congratulated all concerned for reaching this agreement.

“I’ve seen first-hand the outstanding work Bernie has done over the years with footballers from aboriginal backgrounds and this partnership with the Wollongong Wolves is just going to give him more chances of doing even greater things.

“I actually launched my Kickin with a Cuz program in Wollongong with the Wolves and Bernie’s mob because I was that impressed with the proactive things that are happening down there.

“The Wolves are really genuine in growing the indigenous influence in our game and Bernie’s record and successes in the past shows what can be achieved. Hoping to get down there when my commitments here in the A-League are over this season and see how things are progressing. Great stuff and congratulations to all involved.”

-Wollongong Wolves Press Release